YES WE CAN!
GET STUFF ACTUALLY DONE!
NY Times reports:
?This provocation underscores the need for action?not just this afternoon at the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons,? Mr. Obama said. ?Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something.?
In any case, the North Korean action illustrated again that the international community has mostly had its hands tied when it comes to stopping North Korea?s pursuit of nuclear weapons. The Security Council may slap Pyongyang on the wrist, as it has before, but China, a permanent member, has often stood in the way of strong international action.
Nonetheless, Mr. Obama said he will push for strong Security Council action. ?Now is the time for a strong international response, and North Korea must know that the path to security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons.?
But it remained unclear exactly what the West will be able to do by way of the talked about punishment. President Bush pressed for similar sanctions after the North?s nuclear test in October 2006, but those sanctions had little long-term effect.
